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THE I'ERARY OF 
CONGRESS, 


TwO Cc 


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?ecei»oe! 1 


AUG 


14 


1903 


Copy 

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Entfy 

-;« p3 1 
XXe. No 


IoIO 

COPY 


8 
B. 






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The JLejrend of Misa-i-im-nono; us foundecl on fact. 
In, Fox Lake , Lahe County , I llinois is located Crab 
Apple Island, or in the Indian tongue lYlisk-i-mi-nono- 
so called from its native growth of Apple trees. In the 
summer of 1888 while transplanting- a tree we 
found the grave of the Indian with his knives a.n<{, 
charcoal" and took the hnives to the Cottage we haa 
bullae d hu the waiei*^ This so impressed the writer 
that the first part of the Leo/end including- the 



app ea 



ipp 



ranee of vae. Indian was written. 



Some lime afier,a seedling* Apple tree 
planted bw Souxh-wmd produced an Apple ofdn 
unknown vanetir with a sweetness never l<nown 
before to Mortals thus fulfilling* South-winds 
DTophecir which the writer has told as instructed 
bif the Indian. 

TKe Lotus beds mentioned arein, Qrass 
Lake about {Wr^e miles up the Fox River from MisV 
i-mi-nono* anci. the description of the localitu is 
true to nature. The following; extracts from two 
letters will explain, how tTie Leqfend was 
completed and engrossed. 

~T\o~b e ft "T.^Pe ar c e^ 



Leduenwo-rik, Kansas. 
March, 7* 1899. 
My Dear Fatker. 

I enclose witk tkis mju; completed poeiu 
The Legend of Musk.- i-mi-nong'. If it crives irou. 
pleasure mu object will be accomplisked . It us 
crude and rouo-Vi,! know, but tke love wkxck lias 
prompted ana followed tke Unes Is rriu love for i/ou. 

Your Bov 
To Franl^ I. Tearee, T^od. 

Cfkxcacfo, 111. 



CKxcajro, JuVij 7- 1899. 
l%Dear 3oj 

As a. sligTit return (or Vae tkouakt fulness 
and love wV11.cn. prompted j^ou to write The Lecrend 
of Misk-l- mi-noTil" I nave endeavored to engross 
and illustrate it wilK rmj pen 6LS a birtk-dau 
g"i>ft to iiou. Mou ^uou find inter woven In eack line 
and pao'e ike love of 

Your a r rec.lion.ate. 
ToT^obert'T'Pearce falkev. 

Leavenwo-rtk Kansas. 





.^¥^ 



here the Locusts L^J 

Droop their branche^^^^rjjp^wJt: 
Last reflections in the^rt^rCor L 

Kind Nature tkere has placed 
And the Poplars to the Northward 

Hold the wind in sweet submission 
Bending but not breaking*, 

Tempering* all his -playful antics 
lhat the Locusts , looking- calmly 

In the faintly rippled water, 
May receive the breath of North-wind, 

As a maiden, Pair and winso-me 
Gaztnc/- on her own reflection 

In the calm and joy o^ Summer, 
Receives the kiss of Lover 

As he stops his onward journey, 
otops awhile to bide in sweetness 

With his true love by the water: 
So the North-wind fills with perfume 

All the branches of the Locusts. 




In a certain, day in Summer 

We were dicrgincr in the QTeen sod 
Neath tKe flickering* shade of Locust, 

Where the Poplars, tall and stately 
Guard the treasures of the Island, 

When we came u-pon an Indian 
With his how, and knives and charcoal, 

Laid to rest before the North-wind 
Ever kissed the bending* Locust. 

And we took his knives and charcoal 
from the grave wherein we found them, 

And we put them in the Cottacre 
We had builded "by tKe water; 

The bricrht and sparkling- water 
That surrounded Apple Island 

As the cool refreshing; moonbeams 
Llotlae the Earth in "heat of Summer. 





\ was niglnt /'FpfTle moonbeams 

Flickered tlnroucrn. ym| window. 
All was silent save the croal<iucr 

Of l"Ke bull f roars in tlae marsh-. 
And the low and deathly moaning 

Of tine Nor tin- wind in tine Poplars 
San cr as Spirits long departed. 

A low InaTsli laugk greets inu ears, 
1 cannot quell mw rapid rising fears 

For at mij head a form of bit - g one u ears 
Swaxjs with the sicrhin|f of ike North-wind to and fro ; 

His face is old and dried and thin, 
His hands are bony, and within 

Those hands I see the cold steel play 
Of the old l<nnves we found to-dau. 

What would'st thou withmij knlve^'Ke said, 
And came one step nearer to mu bed . 

Man, would'st thou live, hark unto me 
Thou must give to the World mu history 



And thou canst li 



nve 



Ti 



is we 



11 l sand. 






u 



te 




j~i~~laid Kls knives upon m\j bed 
/ Qazed Long- and earnest at my face,, 
You'll do' Ke said,tken took kis place 

Al m_y ST.de and m a voice o( Lurid power 
B e cra.r\j : 

4 , 




[id Ike wild rice and ike Lotus, 
Wkere ike wild duck and tke wkile crane 
Ma"ke tkeir nesl and Uve in comfort , 

Wkere ike waters flowing Soutk-ward 
Witk a current toward ike Ocearu, 
Ever laurrki,nr/, ever sparkling 
OeV tke Black Bass and tKe Pickerel, 

Turn abruptly to tKe East-ward 
Lose tkemselves mid Lotus blossoms; 

Kockecl to sleep in mapac perfume 
u tke early daus of Augmst , 
Wken tke Sun was warm and kappi 



I was "born amorvcr Ike Lotus. 



PPii 



4, 



: 




+ + 






as I of Flower and River 
Sun and Wind artd Lotus perf 



urne 



rriend was I of birds and fishes 

Wall-e^ed Pil<e and Bass and Pickerel, 

Sun-fish, Silver-bass and Dogr-fish, 
Mascalorure and all the others. 

Rail and Loon, and saucj Black- bird, 
Crane and Duck , Shy p oh e and Mud-hen 

As thei( came to rest and quiet 

In the happy &&ys of childhood, 

In the home of birds and fishes , 

0n the ... cozu nooks of _ Grass Lahe 

- 

to** 1 




'.'• : 'ii/ r - 

I, 
grew , a restless spirit 

Made rne seek another home-nest. 
So I Journev/ed down the River 

To an Island in the Waters 
rair to loolc upon, and covered 

With a growth of precioxis Apples 





ien I came askore and tasted 
Of the sweetness of tke Uland, 

And a Voice witkm me wkispered 
Tkis is yours to love and ckerisk 

Apple I stand , MisK-i-mi-noYig. 





came I "into m\j kingdom 

Into peace and rest and comfort, 
•ine to qpuard and keep forever 

WitK mi( friends tke Birds and Flskes 
All about to love and ckerisk; 

And 1 drank tke sparkling* waters, 
And I ate tke luscious apples, 

And I lived in peace and comfort 
Ikrougk tke krio-kt warm daijs of Summer, 

Free from cares of Eartk and wottu. 




inter came and locked my Island 

In the arms of Frozen Water. 
Round my wicrwam rushed the North-wind 

With his moans and groans and hisses: 
Then I built my roaringr bon-fire 

Bid defiance to the North-wind, 
I a child of loving; Summer; 

f ~T~. . . ^ 

I ill he cried in mortal angler 
twill blight thy perfect treasure, 

I will come and kill thine Apple, 
Make him shrink, and sour and dying- 

lake his sweetness, crook his branches; 
I will take from Mtsh-i-mi-noncr 

All the love and joy forever, 
I will drive you from your Eden , 

I will pluck your Apple Blossom.' 1 




ken we fouo^Ki,- and 'round Ike bon-fire 
Rusked tke embers In our f lo/hting*. 
Cursed. I long* and loud ike NoTik-wind 

Till at last Ke overcame me , 
Blew vruj embers witk kis ice-breatk, 

Kissed mij Apple ever skr inking* 
From Tats lips of cleatk, destruction/. 

1m T- 








en a tkrill of warmtk ran tkrouok, we, 

As I felt tke loreatk of Soutk-wind 
Kiss nuj ckeek as tkougk. tke Summer 

Had returned witk Lotus perfume, 
Witk mjj friends tke Birds and Fisk.es. 

As I faltered on tke border 
Of tke Land of Happjj HuntLricr, 

Soutk-wind spoke tkese words of Wbsdom. 





'ome dai[,Une will come to linger 
In IKe love of Misk-i-mi-noncr, 
Liberate tky soul from Nortk-wind, 

Take tVvy knives from off iky bosom. 
Brave and strong- and ever wilKrta' 
Must kis kearl be to Kis fellows. 
He will plant and trees will flounsk 
WitK Ills care and tky protection ; 
r lowers will blossom in trie Spring'- time , 

He will love iky Birds and Fiskes , 
Love tiny friends m kappy Summer; 

Ever teauleous be tky Island 
Witk kis love ana tky protection. 




^ome wattti day mid birds and blossoms 
will resurrect tkine Apple, 
It skall blossom witk a sweetness 
Never known before to Mortals, 





ike tke Lotus flowers in Summer 
t skall come.akope and promise, 
As tke risingr Sun of morning, 

As a sono 1 among- tke branckes, 
As tke love of Mls^t-m^mon^. 




en all men skall see and wonder 

And tke Voice skall ever comfort; 
S orrow, crrief, and care and wo rry , 

Cannot karm witkin its perfume, 
Those wko dwell witkin tke keauljj , 

In tke love of Misk-i-mi-noncr. 




,l<e a dream mu cruest departed 
Left kis knives to prove iruj stor^; 
As a skadow m Ike moonlloki 



H 



e was ooYie,dn 



d it 



was mornin 



ng. 



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